Should I undergo open surgery or laparoscopy to remove my 7 mm gallbladder polyp?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am having my gallbladder removed because they found a 7 mm polyp during an MRI. The surgeon is recommending laparoscopic surgery. I read an article from a surgical oncologist that said you always do open surgery for the gallbladder when there is a polyp involved.

Kindly advise.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

Gallbladder polyps can harbor malignancy, especially if they are larger than 6 mm to 10 mm. If the gallbladder ruptures during the surgery or there is bile spillage, cancer cells can spread inside the abdomen. In laparoscopic cholecystectomy, there is a higher risk of gallbladder rupture or spillage than in open surgery. This is, however, based on historical data when the gallbladder perforation rate was of the order of 30 %. It also varies from surgeon to surgeon. Overall, when cancer is suspected, for example, in the case of an elderly male with a large single polyp and a polyp base towards the liver, it might be a better idea to do an open procedure.

I hope this helps.

Revert in case of queries.

Kind regards.